Proper storage of cannabis products is known to preserve cannabinoids from oxidative degradation. Oxidative degradation of cannabinoids occurs due to an oxidative reduction reaction when a cannabinoid (reducant) is in the presence of an oxidizing agent (oxidant) such as oxygen. In the presence of oxygen, certain cannabinoids, such as isomers and some analogs of tetrahydrocannabinol, operate as electron donors for oxygen as their cyclic structure permits the formation of an aromatic ring following oxidation, forming the oxidized product cannabinol. Additional conditions may increase the rate of oxidation in cannabinoids such as humidity, high temperature and exposure to natural light or other sources of ultra violet (UV) light. Although the oxidative degradation of cannabinoids is expected, avoidance of favorable oxidative conditions may extend the shelf life of cannabis products.
Existing preservation methods may vary slightly depending on the cannabinoid products. For example, a traditional method of cannabis storage involves taking the flowers directly from the plant and submitting it through a drying process before storage. The drying process for flowers occurs at temperatures between 68° Fahrenheit (20° Celsius) for short periods of time in order to reduce humidity. The dried flowers are then placed in a sealed container at temperatures ranging between −4° Fahrenheit (−20° Celsius) for long term storage. Although this method preserves cannabinoids, it is a tedious and time consuming process with the end product taking up a noticeable amount of space.
Another method of storage is to combine extracted cannabinoids from flower and with oils for storage. Cannabinoids are soluble in certain oils allowing for the oil extracts to have a reduced storage volume. Unfortunately, these oil extracts require temperatures of approximately 39° Fahrenheit (4° Celsius) to maintain the solubility of cannabinoids in the oil extract. This temperature is problematic for long term storage as it is favorable for oxidative degradation. Although variations to this method exist by using different compounds such as lipophilic compounds of solid fats and phospholipids, alkaline phosphatases; in addition to monoglycosides such as malitol, lactitol and palatinit, these variations fail as an effective long term storage option for cannabinoids.
It is known that cannabinoids can be preserved by suspending the cannabinoid compounds in sugar and sugar alcohol glasses, which leads to improved bioavailability; nevertheless, problems persist wherein cannabinoids have been shown to degrade during the suspension process, and further degradation occurs during storage. This invention fills a long felt need for methods of preparing crystalline compositions that can be used to preserve cannabinoid compounds with increased storage capabilities and improved bioavailability.